A Vision in a Dream
by knot2be
Summary: The horrors of Voldemort haunt Harry's summer. What will our young protagonist do?
1. Beginning

Disclaimer: Of course I own Harry Potter & Co. I have every one of the books right over there on my bookshelf. Oh. You mean the RIGHTS to Harry Potter & Co. Crap. I thought I had you there. Nope, not mine. But the words below are. Yeah. So back off. JKR can hardly own something that I write. Yeah.  
  
A Vision in a Dream  
  
********** "Avery!"  
  
"Yes, Master?"  
  
"I will deal with this new one myself."  
  
"Yes, Master."  
  
A terrified woman clutching a bundle to her chest was dragged forward.  
  
"Revealis." The woman's clothes disappeared.  
  
"Inflamore." Burns appeared across the woman's chest.  
  
"Deletro." A gaping hole appeared in the woman's abdomen.  
  
"Corrus." The woman's skin began to blister and peal, corroding away as if by acid.  
  
"You see, my Deatheaters, creativity is useful when playing with muggles. Even most simple spells - say, 'Jenatus,' the vibrating charm - can be used. Watch." The man pointed his wand at the woman's head.  
  
"Jenatus." The woman's head bounced itself violently up and down, crashing against the rocks beneath her.  
  
"You see? And there are even more possibilities. Now think of what the spell would do when cast on nearby broken glass. Then again, I always did like the tried and true."  
  
"Crucio." The woman fell, screaming in agony.  
  
She wasn't conscious to see her baby fall from her grasp and break it's head on the nearby rocks, or hear the man's high pitched laugh as he instructed his cronies. But someone else was.  
  
**********  
  
Far away on Privet Drive, Harry Potter shared the woman's pain. He felt every curse cast by the man, Voldemort, but he was denied blissful unconsciousness. Harry shed tears for the woman and her child.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Alrightythen, tell me if you like it. ~knot2be 


	2. Game Plan

A Vision in a Dream: In Which a Game Plan is Formed  
  
Harry Potter was tormented with visions. His connection with Voldemort, scourge of the wizarding world, forced him to suffer every curse the Dark Lord cast, forced him to see every victim Voldemort tortured. Just two weeks into the summer vacation and Harry had already lived through more pain than any ten people should ever have to feel in their entire lifetimes.  
  
To the casual observer, Harry would simply space out and convulse for the duration of his visions. Over time, he learned to hold back his cries of pain, for fear his relatives would hear him. It wasn't that Harry was afraid to incite the Dursley's wrath, but rather that he did not wish to attract their attention. The last thing he needed was more problems.  
  
The Dursleys had done their best to ignore the abomination they saw in their nephew. As soon as Harry had set foot in Privet Drive for the holiday, he'd been shoved into his room. New locks had been installed on the door, though out of fear of Harry's mysterious godfather, he'd been allowed his belongings and bars had not been placed on the window. Following the routine of the summer of Harry's second year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Harry was given meager foodstuffs through the cat flap in his door and allowed out once each day to use the bathroom.  
  
In the beginning, Harry had fallen into a deep depression. Agonizing over the death of Cedric Diggory and the return of Voldemort, Harry blamed himself for the suffering he witnessed. However, as the torture sessions became more and more frequent, the atrocities he witnessed becoming more and more horrific, Harry realized that HE would never injure someone the way Voldemort did his victims. If such a thing was necessary, as in the case of Severus Snape, spy for Dumbledore, then so be it. But harming innocents for pleasure was something that he would never do. The suffering he witnessed, his involvement in Voldemort's resurrection, the sacrifice of his mother, and the safety of the world led him to one conclusion:  
  
He must do whatever it takes to ensure Voldemort's downfall.  
  
*  
  
Harry decided he must know more magic. While he passed all his classes, the knowledge of a mediocre fourth or fifth year student would hardly faze Voldemort. He had all his books for first through fourth years to study, but he would need more.  
  
Also, Harry needed to be in peak physical shape. Maybe if he were faster, Cedric would still be alive. No, he must stop blaming himself. Blame wouldn't help get rid of Voldemort.  
  
Third, he should work on eliminating or concealing his weaknesses. He would not let more innocents die because of him.  
  
Last, and probably both the most fun, Harry decided he needed to have some tricks up his sleeve. Such as obtaining an animagus form.  
  
Of course, not all of this could be accomplished entirely in his room. So he'd need to sneak out.  
  
A slow smile spread across his face as he prepared to break out.  
  
As it neared five in the morning, he tossed his invisibility cloak over his shoulders and grabbed his Gringotts key & the galleons left over from the year before. Then Harry grinned fleetingly as he touched the long, metal lock picks Fred and George had slipped into his pocket as he skillfully picked the locks on his door. *Thank you Fred and George.*  
  
(A/N: Ok, I know that in actuality, the types of locks on doors are not the types that can be opened with lock picks from the inside, but as the twins did it in the second book, I think I can get away with it.)  
  
The only real problem he encountered was in the hallway, where another vision overtook him. But it passed, and Harry was able to slip out the bathroom window and climb down the tree outside.  
  
Slipping his cloak into his bag, Harry thrust out his wand and summoned the Night Bus.  
  
"The Leaky Caldron please," he asked the driver, thanking his lucky stars that Stan and Ernie were not on duty. They might have recognized him as "Neville".  
  
*  
  
At Gringotts Bank, Harry withdrew a sizable amount of money, changing about half of it into muggle currency before moving on to Flourish and Blotts.  
  
If the shopkeeper at Flourish and Blotts was surprised at the pile of books a Harry purchased, he did not show it. Of course, he'd never finnish them all over the summer, but he was stocking up for the entire next year. He didn't want to worry Ron and Hermione. He could not let Voldemort destroy the lives of his friends.  
  
Charms of Every Kind by Flit Taperflame Collected Debates on Dark Magic by Y. N. Grey Dark Magic: What You Shouldn't Use by H. Avery Dueling for Dummies, 14th edition Dueling Techniques In the 20th Century by Severus Snape Esoteric Endeavors by Nicolas Flamel Everything Arithmancy: A Guide to Making Your Own Spells by Abigail Chart Flame in the Forest: Magical Survival by Liv Taylor Giles Wickman's Guide to Every Charm Imaginable by Giles Wickman Inc. Highlights of History: Only What You Need To Know by Reana Breafneasi Human Transfiguration by U. C. Schangn Magical Creatures And Their Abilities by Ali Gator Magical History: Unabriged by D. Roan Meditation: How to Separate Mind from Body by Albus Dumbledore MediWizardry by Heroin Pomfrey Potions You Never Wanted To Know by Severus Snape Presumed Impossible: Magical Skills We Aren't Sure Exist by Deue Kno The Ministry of Magic's Guide Animagus and Apparating by Eoife Fudge The Neverending Guide to Absolutely Everything by Kno Legablés What the Ministry Doesn't Want You to Know About Absolutely Everything by Wanda Wodntkis What the Ministry Doesn't Want You to Know About Animagi by Wanda Woldntkis What Your Potion's Teacher Doesn't Teach You by N. E. Onee  
  
Harry also bought ink, quills, parchment, and two blank books, sweeping them all into the carryall sack he'd picked up with Hermione in years past. His remaining supplies would have to be secured in muggle London.  
  
At least, so he thought. Until he came across the food bag (store pounds of food practically forever), of which he secured two.  
  
With one last wistful glance towards Quality Quiddich Supplies and a sharp reminder that saving lives was far more important than any game, Harry left Diagon Alley and returned to the muggle world.  
  
*  
  
The mall. A muggle building where one could get just about anything one needed - for the right price. Harry Potter had the money.  
  
In ordered to carry out his plan, he'd need some reasonable muggle clothes, not the ridiculous hand-me-downs he got from Dudley.  
  
Harry picked out a pair of jeans, a pair of bondage pants, two long shorts (seeing as it WAS the summer), two pairs of tanks, and some fun word t- shirts.  
  
Then he browsed, picking up a duffle bag to put everything in, a pair of sunglasses, a nice watch, some styling gel, and some cover-up for his scar.  
  
*  
  
Shopping complete, Harry caught a cab, the Night Bus being unavailable, as it was more noonish than night.  
  
"Hey, d'you know if there are any gyms around Privet Drive?" he asked the cab driver. "My family and I just moved in a couple days ago, and I have no idea what's around."  
  
"Sure, kid. There's one a couple miles from Privet Drive. You could probably walk there if you had to," replied the cabbie.  
  
"Thanks. Could you drop me off there? I'd like to check it out."  
  
"Sure, no problem, kid," answered the cab driver.  
  
*  
  
"Excuse me," he called to the man at the front desk. "I just moved here and I was wondering if I could become a member of your gym."  
  
"No problem," said the man. "All you have to do is fill out a form and pay the membership fee. You can either get a full membership or a part-time membership. Full members can sign up for whatever gym activity they want and have full access to the gym's supplies. Part-time members pay for what they do on an individual basis."  
  
"What sort of facilities and activities do you have here?" asked Harry.  
  
"Lets see, we have four weight rooms, two pools, a track for running, several exercise machines, and a bunch of multi-purpose rooms. And there is a schedule of activities posted over on the far wall every week," informed the man.  
  
"Sounds great. So where are these forms I have to fill out?"  
  
And so Harry joined Stiff's Gym.  
  
*Let the games begin* thought Harry, sneaking back into his room just in time for another vision. 


End file.
